Local teen/kid acting troupe A Magical Journey Thru Stages brings back one of the most beloved childhood literary icons with its new show, "Pippi Longstocking." The show debuts Friday, January 25, at the Auditorium Theatre's UpStage 3.

Pippi Longstocking first appeared in Astrid Lindgren's 1945 book of the same name. The Swedish children's tome was somewhat controversial at the time, since the heroes in kiddie lit were supposed to be well-mannered, well-spoken kids who set a good example for other children. That isn't Pippi. Instead, the fiery pig-tailed preteen bucks convention, razzes authority, and stands up for kids everywhere.

Pippi - whose full name is Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Efraim's Daughter Longstocking - is, as her name implies, the daughter of Efraim Longstocking, a sea captain with extraordinary strength, which Pippi inherited from him. In an attempt to keep her safe from the dangers of sea life, Pippi's dad bought her a house, Villa Villekulla, where she lives alone but for her pet monkey, Mr. Nilsson. Pippi regularly gets into adventures with her next door neighbors, Tommy and Annika, and uses her great imagination and street smarts to keep the town's stuffy adults on their toes. Over the years Pippi's adventures have been chronicled in several books, movies, TV shows, and cartoons.

MJTS's "Pippi" runs through Sunday, February 10, with shows Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., at the Auditorium Theatre, 875 East Main Street. Tickets cost $10. For more information call 935-7173 or visit spotlightarts.com/stages.